Written Answers Nos. 131-155
131. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when an application for long-term residency status will be approved in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45577/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that they received a request from the person concerned, in January 2015, to regularise their residency status in the State. INIS wrote directly to them, at their last known address, on three separate occasions. No response was received to these requests.
INIS will issue a further letter to this person requesting additional information and documentation in order to consider the case.
It appears that this person has no permission to be in the State. In this regard, I would draw the Deputy's attention to Section 5 of the Immigration Act 2004, which provides that no non-national may be in the State other than in accordance with the permission of the Minister. A person who contravenes this requirement is for all purposes unlawfully present in the State. A person found guilty of such an offence is liable under Section 13 of the Immigration Act 2004 to a fine not exceeding €3,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
132. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a stamp 4 renewal will be facilitated in the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45578/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the persons concerned had their permission to remain in the State renewed for a further one year period to 14 December 2017. This decision was conveyed in writing to the persons concerned by letters dated 13 December 2016. This permission was renewed to enable the persons concerned to obtain a valid passport or alternatively submit evidence as to what effort they have made to secure a passport.
A representative of the INIS wrote to the persons concerned on 30 August 2017 requesting the submission of specific documentation. There is no record of the requested documentation having been submitted to date. The position in the State of the persons concerned can be further considered upon receipt of the requested documentation.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
133. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45579/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned applied for residence permission and a right to work based on their parentage of an Irish citizen child on 03 October 2017. The Deputy will appreciate that applications are dealt with in chronological order. If further information or documentation is required, the person concerned will be contacted in writing by the relevant officials in my Department in due course.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
134. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if leave to remain stamp 4 will be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45580/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that, if an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State, for confidentiality reasons it is not the practice to comment on such applications and the applicant or his/her legal representative should contact the International Protection Office (IPO) or International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) directly.
The IPO may be contacted either by email to info@ipo.gov.ie, by telephone to the IPO Customer Service Centre at 01 6028008 or in writing to Customer Service Centre, International Protection Office, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.
The International Protection Appeals Tribunal may be contacted either by email to info@protectionappeals.ie, by telephone at 01 474 8400 or Lo-Call 1890 201 458 or in writing to Corporate Services Division, The International Protection Appeals Tribunal, 6-7 Hanover Street East, Dublin D02 W320.
135. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45582/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is on-going, with a view to establishing whether the conditions for naturalisation, such as good character and lawful residence, are satisfied. On completion of the necessary processing the application will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements, not only within the State but also at European Union level, and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. While most cases are now generally processed within six months, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
136. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 352 of 20 September 2017, which failed to address the questions raised in the case of a person (details supplied), if their case can be considered with a view to granting stamp 4 status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45583/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware from the previous response to this question on 12 October last, if an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State, for confidentiality reasons it is not the practice to comment on such applications and the applicant or his legal representative should contact the International Protection Office directly either by email to info@ipo.gov.ie, by telephone to the IPO Customer Service Centre at 01 6028008 or in writing to Customer Service Centre, International Protection Office, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.
Following the commencement of the International Protection Act 2015 on 31 December 2016, new arrangements for the investigation and determination of applications for international protection (refugee status and subsidiary protection) and cases involving permission to remain in the State have been introduced. Such applications are now processed, as part of a single application procedure, by a new International Protection Office (IPO) which has replaced the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) from that date.
The staff of that Office (the Chief International Protection Officer and International Protection Officers) are also independent in the performance of their protection functions.
For your information, the Chief International Protection Officer, following consultation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published a statement on the Prioritisation of Applications for International Protection under the International Protection Act 2015 on 27 February 2017 which is available on the website of the International Protection Office (www.ipo.gov.ie).
137. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which consideration has been given to an application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45584/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing of an application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is under consideration and has not yet reached a conclusion, but I understand however that the case is due to be submitted for decision in the near future.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. While most cases are now generally processed within six months, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
138. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the full strength of An Garda Síochána across all ranks as of 1 October 2017. [45626/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and to deter crime. To make this a reality for all, the Government has in place a plan to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians.
I am informed by the Commissioner that on the 30 September 2017, the latest date for which figures are readily available, the strength of An Garda Síochána was 13,412. There are also 607 Garda Reserves and more than 2,000 civilians attached to An Garda Síochána.
I am further informed by the Commissioner that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, close to 1,400 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide. In addition, another 200 trainee Garda are scheduled to attest later this year which will see Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, increase to around the 13,500 mark by year end - an increase of 500 since the end of 2016.
I am pleased to say that Budget 2018 will support the continuation of this high level of investment in the Garda workforce and ensure that the vision of an overall workforce of 21,000 by 2021 remains on track. A further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College, an additional 500 civilians will also be recruited to fill critical skills gaps across the organisation and to facilitate the redeployment of Gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front-line operational duties. There are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new Reserves expected to commence training early in 2018.
This focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of An Garda Síochána. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every Garda Division, in the coming years.
For the Deputy's information I have set out below, as provided by the Commissioner, the number of Gardaí assigned by rank as of 30 September 2017, the latest date for which figures are readily available.
|
Rank |
Strength on 30 September 2017 |
|
Commissioner |
1 (Acting) |
|
Deputy Commissioner |
1 |
|
Assistant Commissioner |
9 |
|
Chief Superintendent |
42 |
|
Superintendent |
159 |
|
Inspector |
284 |
|
Sergeant |
1896 |
|
Garda |
11020 |
|
Total |
13,412 |
139. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there is specific grant assistance available towards the necessary upgrade of an old dwelling house which would be regarded as a heritage building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45416/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy role, as Minister, with regard to the protection and management of our built heritage is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners as regards heritage assets.
Financial support is delivered by my Department for the protection of heritage buildings under structured schemes which are administered via the local authorities.
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme is a scheme for the repair and conservation of protected structures (i.e. structures on the local authority Record of Protected Structures). This year I have approved €3.5 million in funding for approximately 500 projects across the country, creating employment in the conservation and construction industries, while helping to regenerate urban and rural areas.
The Structures at Risk Fund enables conservation works to heritage structures, in both private and public ownership, which are protected under the Planning and Development Acts and are deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. This year the I have approved €1.324 million in funding for 67 projects nationally. The Fund seeks to encourage the regeneration and reuse of heritage properties and to help to secure the preservation of protected structures which might otherwise be lost.
In the context of a particular building, especially one which is on the Record of Protected Structures, the best advice for the owner may be to contact the Architectural Conservation Officer or Heritage Officer in their local authority who will be able to advise on the various types of funding available to assist with the building.
The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. It is primarily a matter for the Heritage Council to decide how its funding should be allocated across the range of research, education and conservation programmes it supports annually, having regard to competing priorities for limited resources. Grant schemes are advertised by the Heritage Council on its website www.heritagecouncil.ie.
140. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the process for designation of the recently discovered human remains from the Iron Age period at a site (details supplied) as a national monument and a site of local significance; if protection will be introduced to secure this site and prevent damage or plundering; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45550/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Pathologist’s Office has investigated the human remains recently exposed in this case by Storm Ophelia and has determined that they are of ancient origin. As a consequence, National Museum of Ireland officials in consultation with officials from my Department’s National Monuments Service, have carefully removed the visible remains for safekeeping.
My Department is arranging for further archaeological investigations to be carried out which will help to both inform and contextualise the discovery. While it has been reported that the site might date to the Iron Age, this cannot be determined categorically ahead of the planned further investigations. The site itself will ultimately be entered onto the Sites and Monuments Record and will thus be protected under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2004.
I want to commend the local community for promptly reporting the matter and to thank them and the local authority for securing the site, for preventing unwanted interference and for its co-operation with the planned further investigations that are about to take place.
This discovery also highlights the significant risks to our vulnerable archaeological monuments and historic buildings from extreme weather events. I am accordingly supporting the adoption, by the end of 2018, of a formal Sectorial Climate Adaptation Plan for Built and Archaeological Heritage which will identify risks and appropriate mitigation measures to help safeguard our heritage for future generations.
141. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason a person (details supplied) who is the successor of the owner of a bog in a natural heritage area has not been paid their compensation which they are due as the owner of same; the steps she will take to have same addressed without delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45565/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has not been received by my Department from the individual referred to in the Deputy's Question. I understand that my Department is sending an application form to this individual for completion and return.
142. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) is eligible to have hip replacement surgery performed under the National Treatment Purchase Fund. [45351/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.
Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018. Budget 2018 allocated additional funding in the region of €10m for the remainder of 2017 to fund patient treatment across a range of key specialties and procedures.
In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, I asked the HSE to develop Waiting List Action Plans for 2017 in the areas of Inpatient/Daycase, Scoliosis and Outpatient Services. The Inpatient/Daycase Action Plan is being delivered through a combination of normal hospital activity, as well as insourcing and outsourcing initiatives utilising NTPF funding. Under the Inpatient/Daycase Plan, since early February, over 27,000 patients have come off the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List.
The NTPF has advised that to date 9,476 patients have been authorised for treatment in private hospitals under its Day Case Initiative, 3,415 patients have accepted an offer of treatment in a private hospital and that 1,499 patients have received their procedure. The NTPF has also indicated that 3,645 patients have been authorised for treatment in public hospitals under the Plan’s insourcing initiatives, 1,310 offers of treatment have been accepted and 573 patients have been treated.
Under the Oupatient Plan, since early February, over 94,000 patients have come off the Outpatient Waiting List.
Under waiting list initiatives run by the NTPF, the NTPF liaises directly with hospitals to identify patients to be treated. The patients are then contacted to arrange the details of treatment.
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
143. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the public non-capital expenditure on health in each of the budget years 2007 to 2018, in tabular form. [45352/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra144. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the public non-capital expenditure on health excluding treatment benefits in each of the budget years 2007 to 2018, in tabular form. [45353/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra145. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the public capital expenditure on health in each of the budget years 2007 to 2018 in tabular form. [45354/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra146. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the public expenditure on health in each of the budget years 2007 to 2018 in tabular form. [45355/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 143 to 146, inclusive, together.
The gross public non capital, capital and total expenditure on health in each of the budget years 2007 to 2018 is set out below in tabular form. From 2007 to 2014 the expenditure represents the aggregate of expenditure on the Vote of the Office of the Minister for Health & Children and the Vote of the Health Service Executive. With effect from 31 December 2014, the Vote of the Health Service Executive was disestablished and from 2015 onwards, the Health Service Executive was funded from grants payable from the Vote of the Office of the Minister for Health. This analysis excludes expenditure on the Treatment Benefit Schemes which are administered by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
|
Gross Expenditure Outturn |
|||
|
Year |
Current |
Capital |
Total |
|
2007 |
13,791,202 |
587,937 |
14,379,139 |
|
2008 |
14,801,906 |
592,923 |
15,394,829 |
|
2009 |
14,982,559 |
546,427 |
15,528,986 |
|
2010 |
14,334,183 |
465,835 |
14,800,018 |
|
2011 |
13,760,940 |
426,611 |
14,187,551 |
|
2012 |
13,798,486 |
433,456 |
14,231,942 |
|
2013 |
13,659,284 |
432,596 |
14,091,880 |
|
2014 |
13,259,984 |
477,695 |
13,737,679 |
|
2015 |
12,953,874 |
386,874 |
13,340,748 |
|
2016 |
13,689,578 |
417,642 |
14,107,220 |
|
20171 |
14,152,280 |
454,250 |
14,606,530 |
|
20182 |
14,797,880 |
493,250 |
15,291,130 |
|
12017 Estimate in REV 2017 |
|||
|
2 2018 Estimate in Budget Day Book |
147. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Health his plans to prioritise the provision of capital funding for the new endoscopy unit and other ancillary services at Naas General Hospital, Naas, County Kildare, from the additional capital allocation of €471 million announced under the mid term capital review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45380/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra148. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Health his plans to prioritise the provision of capital funding for phase 3C of Naas General Hospital, Naas, County Kildare, from the additional capital allocation of €471 million announced under the mid term capital review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45381/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 148 together.
The new Capital Envelope announced in the context of Budget 2018 is being used by the HSE to revise the Capital Plan and also in preparing the National Service Plan for 2018. Therefore I am not in a position to say what projects will be funded next year.
149. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if speech and language therapy will be provided for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45384/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government wishes to provide more accessible respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability.
As the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
150. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1018 of 11 September 2017, the length of time the 1,647 persons on the waiting list for cataract surgeries at the Mater hospital to date in 2017 have been waiting by month, in tabular form. [45386/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
151. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health if claims that the symptoms of the 650 persons who have received the HPV vaccine fit in with a recently described phenomenon known as autoimmune and inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (details supplied) will be examined by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45387/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAdjuvants (immune potentiators or immunomodulators) have been used for decades to improve the immune response to vaccine antigens. The incorporation of adjuvants into vaccine formulations is aimed at enhancing, accelerating and prolonging the specific immune response towards the desired response to vaccine antigens. Advantages of adjuvants include the enhancement of the immunogenicity of antigens, modification of the nature of the immune response, the reduction of the antigen amount needed for a successful immunisation, the reduction of the frequency of booster immunisations needed and an improved immune response in the elderly and immunocompromised.
Of the approximately 650 reports of suspected adverse reactions that were received by the Health Products Regulatory Authority and classified as serious, in the majority of these cases the medical care required was for the treatment of vaccination related events, such as fainting around the time of vaccination, or treatment for injection site reactions such as headache, rash, itching (or other allergic-type reactions), fever, muscle pain and gastrointestinal effects, such as nausea and vomiting. Such reactions are typically transient in nature and as such do not represent autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
152. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be operated on to treat their scoliosis and will receive an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45391/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
153. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive a reply from the HSE regarding a request for extra hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45410/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
154. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if he will bring forward legislation making it mandatory to make a defibrillator available in each public building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45411/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2014 HIQA published a health technology assessment on providing defibrillators in public spaces. They found that, based on available evidence, none of the public access defibrillation programmes that were assessed were considered cost-effective using conventional willingness to pay thresholds.
Following on from this, early this year, the Health Service Executive established an Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Steering Group. The purpose of this project is to improve survival rates for those who suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest through the development and implementation of an out of hospital cardiac arrest strategy. This work will support the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and Community First Responder Ireland (CFR Ireland) in their commitment to improve clinical outcomes for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA).
Both the NAS and CFR Ireland are working with other partners to enable a sustainable response to such events.
The HSE National Community First Responder framework for Ireland declared that CFRs offer a valuable and complementary resource to emergency ambulance provision, positively impacts NAS response time and achieves improved survival for OHCA. It demonstrated how the NAS and CFR Ireland intend to consolidate, enhance and implement further CFR schemes over the next five years through a National Community First Responder Framework. Its ambitions over the next few years include increasing the availability of training in CPR in schools, work places and local groups and making Public Access Defibrillators more easily accessible with people knowing how to use them. It also aims to:
- Work in partnership with all relevant organisations (statutory, voluntary, community and private sectors) to increase the availability of Public Access Defibrillators;
- Put in place effective arrangements to ensure that Public Access Defibrillators are mapped, maintained and accessible to the public; and
- Commence a public awareness campaign to increase the level of provision of CFR Schemes in geographical areas of priority.
And so one of the means to help improve outcomes in this area is CFR groups. These are people from local communities who are trained in basic life support and the use of defibrillators that attend a potentially life threatening emergency in their area. They are then able to provide an early intervention in situations such as heart attack or cardiac arrest by providing, among other things, resuscitation and defibrillation.
Cardiac First Responders (CFR) Ireland, launched in 2015, is the national umbrella organisation for Community First Responders Groups. CFR Ireland works with the National Ambulance Service, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council and the Centre for Emergency Medical Science UCD. Both the NAS and CFR Ireland currently support over 145 Community First Responder schemes throughout Ireland, who train community members to provide emergency care support.
If an emergency 999/112 call for cardiac arrest, choking, chest pain or breathing difficulties is made to the National Ambulance Service in an area where a CFR group is established, the on-duty CFR member gets a text from the National Ambulance Service at the same time that an ambulance is despatched with location and call details. The First Responder then goes straight to the scene and administers initial care (defibrillation if required) until the National Ambulance Service Emergency resources arrive.
155. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the way in which he plans to reduce the long waiting times being experienced by children in counties Cavan and Monaghan who are in need of an assessment for occupational therapy. [45413/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
